Charlene Whalley (right) who taunted police after they put a 'wanted' appeal for her by posting a this picture of herself dressed as cartoon character Where's Wally has been charged with theft

A model who taunted police on Facebook over a 'wanted' appeal for her has been charged with theft after handing herself in.

Charlene Whalley, 24, will appear before magistrates in Bury on February 15 after being accused of stealing £50 from a Tesco store in Heywood.

She appeared in court on warrant yesterday after being urged to hand herself in.

Ms Whalley will now go on trial over the alleged incident which happened in November 2014.

The single mother, who runs her own modelling business, responded on the social media site by taunting officers with a picture of herself dressed as Where’s Wally.

It is understood she voluntarily handed herself in to police on Monday following GMP’s social media appeal to track her down.

When contacted by the Manchester Evening News, the mother-of-one said her solicitor had advised her not to discuss her case - but continued to protest her innocence and claimed that the matter was a misunderstanding.

She said: “I will continue to go and do my charitable work and will not let this bad misunderstanding affect me or my business in the meantime.”

Speaking to Manchester Evening News previously, Ms Whalley claimed that police officers had harassed her and vowed to clear her name after being accused of stealing £50 left by a customer at Tesco Express in Heywood last November.

Ms Whalley, from Bury, said: 'I've never been in trouble with the law in my life - they see me as an easy target. They've publicly humiliated me and could have ruined my business and my career.

'I was in Tesco with my little boy in a rush before college. I put my money in my purse and grabbed my stuff on the way out.

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'I was standing at the bus stop and this guy ran out saying I had picked up his money off the counter. I didn't want to be late for college and said I couldn't just give him the money. He knew the college I went to so I went.'

Police later visited Ms Whalley and, after checking her bank account, she said she had mistakenly taken the cash.

The 24-year-old uploaded the image after GMP Heywood and Middleton urged people to help track her down in connection with an alleged £50 theft from a Tesco store last year

She claimed she didn't hear anything more about the matter until October, when she received a letter telling her there was a warrant out for her arrest.

A spokesman for GMP said Ms Whalley was offered the chance to simply pay the money back after she admitted she had taken it, which would have been the end of the matter.

They said she was due to appear in court on July 31, but didn't turn up. A warrant for her arrest was then issued.

Ms Whalley claimed the officers had harassed her and vowed to clear her name after being accused of stealing £50 left by a customer at Tesco Express in Heywood last November

A spokesman added: 'Wherever she is spotted, she will be arrested and appear before court the next day.